I figure you will get lots of suggestions on this, from reciprocating saws to Dremels to jig saws... I made a jig and bought a 4-1/2" angle grinder from Harbor Freight. Worked beautifully! Perfect round hole with only minor burrs that a rat tail file quickly remedied. I'll try to post a pic of the jig. (though I still owe OCD a pic of the lid I made for the keg).

Just be sure to relieve the pressure if the valve and spear are still in place before you start.

I went the 4" angle grinder with a cut off disc and a jig I made out of a bit of 2x4 wood, made a hole that'll fit over the sanke tap with a hole saw, and a jig saw to cut out the end of the wood so I can slide the angle grinder down into it to make a perfect circle cut.

I had originally tried using my dremel, but it took forever and went through a half a dozen discs easily, and left me with something that only barely resembled a circle, same deal with the recip saw since it kept wanting to go straight, and free handing with the angle grinder and cut off disc resulted in similar results, though marginally better when I drew a circle with a sharpie with a piece of string tied to the end of it and knotted around the sanke tap.

For the lauter tun question, what in particular are you wondering about?

I took mine to a welding shop. I will say, before you cut it, be sure the keg is not stolen. The small deposit on a keg does not even come close to the price for replacing it.

Can we ask someone within AHA to come up with a number(s) to call for this type of verification? We've all heard all the arguments going both ways on this subject. Again, without a receipt the liquor store won't refund deposit. So you can keep it indefinitely as a trade in when you buy a keg of beer. Some claim to have called their local distributors, and be told they don't want it. How far does one go to verify?

A keg with a name on it is the property of that named party, not the liquor store or bar. If you buy a keg from Sabco or directly from a brewery, they have made some sort of effort to permanently remove the owner/brewery mark on the keg. A number of smaller breweries now lease kegs from a company called Micro-Star which is another owner, not a brand of keg. The person to contact is the the company who's mark is on if they are is still in business (Miller, Bud, Sierra Nev., Micro Star).

I see adverts for brand new Microstar beer kegs for sale on Craigslist, and can't help but wonder whether microstar sees these as well?

I know this is an over-debated subject and I do see why its a problem. But at the same time the breweries do nothing to avoid it except to complain from what I can gather. About a year ago Bud had something in the news about it even. The problem is that neither you nor I can simply return a keg for even a simple reward or deposit without having the store receipt showing a deposit was paid. The breweries/distributor create their own problem. I'm sure each keg has a unique identifier or if it doesn't it wouldn't be difficult to do it while the keg is being produced... ie a serial number, which could be traced. All they would have to do is offer a simple reward, hell they would probably even make money because they could pay less than the original deposit amount! I'm sure the vendors don't get off scott-free or they wouldn't charge for the deposit either. It just reeks of a scam on the brewers or distributors end to me. But I suppose a stamp and a tracking system which they probably already use, is too difficult for them? Wouldn't want to hire anyone to save a few dollars either...

Dean, I've returned several kegs (not AB, to be sure) to the owning breweries without any kind of paperwork. They were thrilled, even astonished, to get them back and showed me their gratitude with lots of free food and beer.

Dean, I've returned several kegs (not AB, to be sure) to the owning breweries without any kind of paperwork. They were thrilled, even astonished, to get them back and showed me their gratitude with lots of free food and beer.

Wow! No kidding? I wish I could find a few places like that... especially if its good beer. I've called distributors even and they say they won't take them and that I should return them to the store I purchased the beer at. I think its just something most of them don't want to address.

Dean, I've returned several kegs (not AB, to be sure) to the owning breweries without any kind of paperwork. They were thrilled, even astonished, to get them back and showed me their gratitude with lots of free food and beer.

If you head in to the brewery with kegs, it wouldn't hurt to ask them "Hey I know these are yours but any chanceyou have some that are being de-commisioned?" They may hook you up. I have seen some success in this route. It is much easier in the Macro brewing though, they can write off bad kegs easier than smaller breweries.

Here in New Orleans A-B will accept kegs with no receipt and give 12 bux per and Abita gives a free case of beer but the distributors of foreign beers will do nothing.BTW,post katrina flood as an early returner,I found in various places a dozen kegs including 2 full of good beer...as well as 18 nearly full propane tanks